1-1     By:  Coleman, Ehrhardt (Senate Sponsor - Zaffirini)   H.B. No. 2304
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 26, 1996;
 1-3     April 27, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on Human
 1-4     Services; May 6, 1999, reported favorably, as amended, by the
 1-5     following vote:  Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 6, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6     COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1                            By:  Zaffirini
 1-7     Amend H.B. 2304 as follows:
 1-8           (1)  In SECTION 3, strike "September" and substitute
 1-9     "January" (Engrossed version, page 1, line 34).
1-10           (2)  In SECTION 3, strike "1999" and substitute "2000"
1-11     (Engrossed version, page 1, line 34).
1-12                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-13                                   AN ACT
1-14     relating to certain providers of family counseling services under
1-15     the medical assistance program.
1-16           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-17           SECTION 1.  Section 32.027(e), Human Resources Code, is
1-18     amended to read as follows:
1-19           (e)  The department shall assure that a recipient of medical
1-20     assistance under this chapter may select a licensed psychologist or
1-21     a licensed marriage and family therapist, as defined by Section 2,
1-22     Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Act (Article 4512c-1,
1-23     Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), to perform any health care service
1-24     or procedure covered under the medical assistance program if the
1-25     selected psychologist or marriage and family therapist is
1-26     authorized by law to perform the service or procedure.  This
1-27     subsection shall be liberally construed.
1-28           SECTION 2.  If before implementing any provision of this Act
1-29     a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
1-30     federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
1-31     the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
1-32     authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
1-33     waiver or authorization is granted.
1-34           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-35           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-36     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-37     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-38     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-39     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
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